Anyone moving from the previous Cooper to this new one will really appreciate the bargain and won't complain about the extra $250: the turbo and a dose more power over the revvy, but weedy 1.6 4-cyl of yore and a better engine note to go with it is sufficient to bring the Cooper much closer to the previous S version. It makes the Cooper a much more complete car. I look forward to trying this engine in BMW products, too. Btw, if the engine is modular, what about a 2.5 liter 5-cylinder with a turbo in the 2-series as the new M2? Beat that, Audi.

Plus if the bore is slightly downsized from 84 to 82mm [sans liner], does the mean the spacing is tightened up as well? [~87, from BMW corporate 91mm]

Totally would love to have a 350hp 325ft-lb 2.5 liter I5 for the M2. Sure that may be the true power of the N55, but a shorter, lighter package, with a sound that punches Audi in the nose, would be awesome.

Agree, I like the new Cooper, just digging the new style... the Grill and those huge tail lamps... not love them yet, but I just got to build one on the Mini's app and I loved those Leather/Cloth chekered seats. Still I´ll get the 3 banger. with some good remap there's no doubt you can hit 150hp, with a 6speed manual, I want one.

Why would BMW ever want to use the 5-cylinder engine? It's not a very loved engine configuration, and they can squeeze a six cylinder in, in just about the same amount of space. Also, the six is silky smooth, sounds delicious, and has been a part of BMW's brand identity forever. Unless BMW completely overhauls their entire lineup, I will not own one. The new 328i and 335i are disappointingly soft, interior is cheaply put together, and they have taken all of the joy out of the steering. I'm so worried in the way that BMW has been going recently. They have really lost their way.

The old car was cramped, rushed through development and underpowered. Sounds like the new one is class leading on value, features, emissions & economy. What other 40 mpg car gets 60 under 8 seconds? Nothing is perfect but for it's modest MSRP folks could do much worse, wonder what the next clubvan will look like....

the epa estimates are disappointing. i was gunning for 44 or 45 highway and 33 or 34 city. i think in the real world a good driver would still get better mileage w/ the base engine than the 2.0L. the lack of low end torque probably required the EPA cycle to stay in lower gears than you would need to on normal roads. 7.3 sounds quick. i look forward to instrumented testing in michigan.

The new WRX? EngineTrend did a test on stick & CVT, both aren't as fast as one would expect because of the weight gain.

Plus they are now officially ridiculously front heavy. 61/39 for the CVT 59/41 for the stick. Front wheel drive cars are less nose heavy. WTH Fuji Heavy Industry?

They aren't fast, don't handle well [that is what the front axle torque vectoring trick is for, to mask the problem], and don't get good mileage. The only upside is that they are four wheel drive, (with actual center differential) which is becoming a rarity in today's world.

Well, thats where mini has always fallen down. They have bmw DNA, and a BMW ego with pricing. Yes the base car starts at just over 20 grand, but you wont find any on dealer lots like that. They will be optioned up near 30 real quick. I agree it doesnt have bang for the buck, and compared the the WRX its down on power. But its also not really competing with that. Plus look at the quality of the Mini, and the quality of the Subaru inside. Subarus are a bargain by purpose, Mini isn't.

The new WRX will, without doubt, handle better than the previous one...(and all reviews agree).

When you say it's not fast and doesn't handle well I don't know what you're comparing it to, but the previous generation WRX beat the following cars around the Lightning Lap....(a pretty good yardstick for handling).

Don`t handle well, aren`t fast? I drove the new WRX in a Subaru sponsored event, both on a track and in the streets and found it to be a very capable vehicle. So did most of the professionals journos who were there. Tell you what. I`ll take their words over yours anytime.

They are still priced too high, are not powerful enough, and don't have as much charm as the original "new" Cooper. Think about it, a GTI has 217 HP, 260 lb-ft of torque, is faster in a straight line, handles just as well, has equal or better quality, has more standard options, weighs about the same and costs the same (less considering that the VW comes with more equipment standard that you'd have to pay for in the Mini). The Mini is just not as competitive as it used to be.

They need at least 200 HP for the Cooper S, mid-200 plus for the GP in my opinion. When I think of a Mini I think of a fun little pocket rocket, not the slow psuedo-luxury cars that BMW is turning them into.

Have you not realized that BMW makes this, and the car is actually put together with solid steel? After owning a MINI, I can say that these cars are built solid. The doors are heavy, everything works with a clunk, and although they have used a lot of plastic on the interior, it looks more expensive. The MINI isn't about being the fastest in a straight line, it's about the connection to the road. The last gen MINI R56 S was tested with an auto, and it ran a6.0sec 0-60. The new WRX isn't much faster than that, especially not with the CVT. You can easily tune this car to get between 30-40 more horsepower for roughly 300 bucks. The MINI isn't a four wheel drive Econobox with a different engine, it's more of a front wheel drive BMW. You pay for what the name gets you, the technology, and the fact that it's extremely fun to drive. While the WRX might be faster from 0-60 since it has 4-wheel drive, my 2011 S Hatch with a BMS JB+ can easily hang with a WRX at highway speeds. Instead of the lag at low rpm, these cars pull hard from 1250RPM. I wouldn't get rid of my MINI for a WRX anyday. I hate the way the WRX looks, it's interior is cheap and already outdated, and I don't like getting 23MPG. I'll take my MINI and it's 36MPG (@85mph) and it's lightning quick steering, ultra firm suspension, and much more appealing body. Also, you can equip the MINI with a million different features. Your argument also basically makes VW GTI's pointless too, even though most C&D staff would own the GTI over the WRX anyday.

What GTI are you getting your specs from? GTI has 210hp and 258lb-ft. Also, the GTI weighs around 300lbs more, is maybe .1sec faster in a straight line, and actually the new MINI has just as much standard equipment maybe more. This new MINI is the fastest, best handling MINI yet. It just also happens to have some creature comforts too. Also, if you haven't realized, BMW usually quotes power ratings for at the wheel numbers. This car could easily be pushing out 200hp. The JCW model is slated to have 231hp. Anymore, and you just start to spin the wheels and have uncontrollable torque steer. Look at the Focus ST and see how it is. Look at the Maxdaspeed3 that has to have its torque limited in the first few gears. It doesn't make these cars any faster than the next. This car is more like an Audi A1 than a VW Polo. It competes against the upmarket cars. It's not a budget brand, thankfully.

I'd agree with you if driving were only about speed. Cornering,braking,steering and overall driving feel are all as important to me. And by the way,have you actually known anyone who actually paid $26K for a WRX?

Their are folks that buy Striped WRX's. Subaru discounts them when they have them in stock (not often). The Mini is a much lighter and responsive car than the WRX. To add more power without adding more weight you must spend more development money. Two completely different cars. The Mini finally has a German quality interior.

I like it, this is the size the old Cooper should have been. The pricing of the Cooper S isn't bad at all, I would actually spend the extra money just to have the 6 speed manual. Overall this seems like a good deal although I think their are some other models out with better performance for the same price but I like this refresh or redesign. I wonder if they'll give the countryman the same or similar face, now that is what I wanna see.

At 151 inches long this puts this 2015 Mini about as long as the original Rabbit GTI. That makes it a significantly larger car than my 2006 Cooper S was.Also I definately find the interior more appealing if a bit too much BMW for my tastes. I am intrigued with the 3 cylinder engine. I think in the future there is going to be a lot of room for different 3 cylinder engine variants.I'm also guessing the ride characteristics of this 3rd generation of new Mini has much better ride characteristics than version #1 of new Mini(R53).That was a real problem on bad roads. I ended up switching out the run flats which help to a certain degree.The body is still a box with big head lights.I still like my 2013 Abarth in terms of design over the Mini. However I will concede the 2015 Mini offers a much nicer interior than my Abarth could ever hope for.